WHENEVER students ask me for some advice about how to survive law school, my short answer is to “stay the course.” When asked to expound, I tell them that they should continue doing whatever needs to be done to achieve whatever they have planned to do, which is to become a lawyer.
Despite the roadblocks ahead, which are sure to come, they need to stick to the plan and move forward.
Not by design, in my 20 years of teaching law, there has yet to be a class where 100 percent of my students passed. Due to its sheer number of units, Obligations and Contracts (five units) and Wills and Succession (four units), students who fail in these subjects end up either taking the subject again on probation status or going to another law school or, worse, giving up their dream to be a lawyer. But I know a few students who took failure as an opportunity to show how to “stay the course.”
Allow me to share the story of Chikki Ybiernas, who failed one of my classes in Ateneo Law School. Four years ago, when she failed in my class, Chikki questioned her abilities and doubted her reasons for trying to be a lawyer. During her journey in law school, she took the quote “doubts kill more dreams more than failure ever will” by heart. After getting a 74 in my Obligations and Contracts class, Ms. Chikki Ybiernas fearlessly made sure to “redeem herself” by having me again for Obligations and Contracts, enrolled in and passed my Succession class in her third year, and even took me as her thesis adviser during her senior year. This former student, now a lawyer, never gave up, opted to go against the odds and will surely be one of the better lawyers in the country because of her grueling journey toward becoming a lawyer.
Our chairman in Philippine Airlines, Dr. Lucio Tan, once said: “Even the accomplished suffers setbacks sometimes. The more bitter the lessons, the greater the successes will be.” Despite the difficulty to get a law degree from Ateneo in four years with an overloaded schedule, Chikki kept on moving toward her childhood dream.
As believers in faith, our course here on Earth will be far from being easy. Our way of staying the course, as in living our lives according to God’s purpose, is impossible, unless In the Bible, Psalms 119:1-5 says, “You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow His directions, doing your best to find Him. That’s right—you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road He set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course You set.”
with Him. All our efforts to live according to His ways will always fall short. But somehow, He manages to send people our way to help us get through all the difficulties for us to stay the course. When I was the Commissioner of Immigration a few years ago, I was fortunately blessed with a few upright people around me, whose actions in the Bureau were premised on our collective desire to make a heartfelt difference in public service. In the case of Chikki, her difficult journey in law school was made easier by blessings from above in the form of friends, classmates and a handful of professors turned mentors whose wisdom allowed her to appreciate not only the law but life, as well.
Admittedly, Chikki may not be my best law student, but she definitely made the best out of whatever was sent her way, knowing the 50- percent casualty rate in the Ateneo Law School. For as long as the dark moments in our lives will last only so long as is necessary for God to accomplish His purpose in us, we should always act without fear but with the comfort in the fact that He has our back. In the Bible, Psalms 119:1-5 says, “You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow His directions, doing your best to find Him. That’s right—you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road He set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course You set.”
Chikki perhaps eventually realized that roadblocks, like a failure in class, are blessings as she stayed on course. When asked as to how she managed to continue despite faithtesting challenges, Chikki said three things: “Adjust accordingly. Appreciate those around you. Always pray and be thankful.” While there may be setbacks, she says, never adjust the goal you set, just adjust your schedule, your effort, your resources accordingly. And, as you boldly accept and adapt to the situations of adversity, appreciate the unwavering support of friends and loved ones.
Finally, and most important, Chikki says, “While there is no substitute for hard work, there is also no God greater than Him. Ask God for courage and guidance but also give thanks. Wherever we find ourselves in, there is always a reason to pray and be thankful.” Stay the course, both in life and in faith.
For questions and comments, please e-mail me at sbmison@gmail.com.